Jayshree Samanta, PhD
Position title: Assistant Professor, Comparative Biosciences
Email: jsamanta@wisc.edu
Address:
Veterinary Medicine Building
2015 Linden Dr
Madison, WI 53706
- Organ System/Disease Focus
- Neural Stem Cells, Myelin Disorders
- Aligned Research Focus
- Basic stem cell science, Glial development, Remyelination

MORE INFORMATION:
RESEARCH DESCRIPTION:
Our lab focuses on determining the molecular mechanisms underlying regeneration of myelin from neural stem cells, in response to demyelinating injuries in the adult mammalian brain. Myelin is essential for rapid conduction of action potentials in neurons. It is formed by the spiral wrapping of oligodendrocyte processes around axons and is lost in many neurodegenerative diseases like Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. Our goal is to unravel the mechanisms involved in activation of neural stem cells, their migration to the site of demyelination and their differentiation into myelinating oligodendrocytes. We are examining these processes in genetic as well as toxin induced mouse models of demyelination along with in vitro cultures of adult neural stem cells.
SELECTED REFERENCES:
- DZ Radecki, AR Wang, AS Johnson, CA Overman, MM Thatcher, G Iyer, J Samanta. Gpnmb inhibits oligodendrocyte differentiation of neural stem cells by amplifying TGFb1 signaling (2021). bioRxiv 2021.08.13.456269
- DZ Radecki, J Samanta. Endogenous Neural Stem Cell Mediated Oligodendrogenesis in the Adult Mammalian Brain. (2022) Cells, PMID: 35805185
- DZ Radecki, J Samanta. Isolation and culture of neural stem cells from adult mouse subventricular zone for genetic and pharmacological treatments with proliferation analysis. (2022) Star Protocols, PMID: 35146452
- B Zotter, O Dagan, J Brady, H Baloui, J Samanta, JL Salzer. Gli1 regulates the postnatal acquisition of peripheral nerve architecture (2021). Journal of Neuroscience, PMID: 34772739
- J Samanta, HM Silva, JJ Lafaille, JL Salzer. Transcriptomic analysis of loss of Gli1 in neural stem cells responding to demyelination in the mouse brain (2021). Scientific Data , PMID: 34711861
- DE Marzan, V Verdon, BL West, S Liddelow, J Samanta, JL Salzer. Activated microglia drive demyelination via CSF1R signaling (2021). Glia, PMID: 33620118.
- DZ Radecki, HM Messling, JR Haggerty-Skeans, SK Bhamidipati, ED Clawson, CA Overman, MM Thatcher, JL Salzer, J Samanta. Relative Levels of Gli1 and Gli2 Determine the Response of Ventral Neural Stem Cells to Demyelination. (2020) Stem Cell Reports , PMID: 33125874.
- J Samanta, EM Grund, HM Silva, JJ Lafaille, G Fishell, JL Salzer. Inhibition of Gli1 mobilizes endogenous neural stem cells for remyelination. (2015) Nature , PMID: 26416758.